The Z-95 is the best known starfighter design in the galaxy, dating back into the days of the Old Republic. There is much confusion over what a Z-95 should be because it is really unknown when exactly they were first introduced and most people don't realize that Incom/Subpro released new versions of it each year.

Now, we have to come to some sort of understanding on what would be produced each year in terms of a "new model" of Z-95. It logically would not work if the Mark II came out a year after the Mark I and then the Mark III a year after that. By the time you reach the introduction of the X-wing, you just might be up to 100 or so "Mark" variants.

So what did they introduce each year? How about specific variants such as a two-seat trainer? Or perhaps a model almost identical to the one in the previous year, just with newer cockpit displays? Think along the lines of a car. With each year you see the car slowly change and evolve slowly until it differs greatly from the original. Look at the Toyota Celica for an example. There were three different models of the Celica that hit the market during its production run. Put in terms relevant to our subject, consider the original to be a Mark I Celica and then the next model to be the Mark II Celica - each had several years of production which saw slight improvements with each year.

This supplement is intended to bridge the gaps and eliminate the misunderstandings of the Z-95 and its variants. It contains official material used to set the ground work of the design as well as homebrew material fill in some of the holes.

Now, with that out of the way, let's go through the Z-95 Headhunter line...

Mark I Production Run

The original run of the famed Z-95 Headhunter. During the Rebellion era and beyond, Z-95s of the Mark I production run were quite rare and usually only seen in museums or private collections. Even those backwater planets and organizations who utilized Z-95s rarely used Mark Is.

The Mark I was the shortest of the Z-95 production runs. When Incom/Subpro realized that a vast majority of its atmospheric Z-95s were being modified into starfighters, they began work on the Mark II Z-95 starfighter.

Incom/Subpro Z-95 Mark I Headhunter

This is the original version of the infamous Headhunter which was designed as an atmospheric fighter and not as a starfighter. They were easily adapted to space travel according to publications (see below). This means that the Mark I would require a bit of modification to either reach space from a planet's surface or for the engines to function in a vacuum.

The Mark I was a twin-engined craft, unlike the better known variants which featured a quad-engine configuration comparable to Incom's X-wing fighter. These engines were designed for atmospheric flight and had to be modified for space use. Since this modification was so common among Mark I owners, it could be done quickly and cheaply by an experienced technician.

Since it was designed as an atmospheric fighter and not a space fighter, the cockpit featured a bubble canopy which provided the pilot and unobstructed view of everything. Bubble canopies were quite common on atmospheric fighters throughout the course of galactic history. The canopy would have been very similiar to that of an American F-16 fighter.

The original Mark I came armed only with a pair of triple blaster cannons, which were mounted on the tips of the swing-wings. It was heavily armored and lightly shielded, making it perhaps the single most durable atmospheric fighter ever constructed. Mark Is modified for space use relied on this durability for survival, as it could barely outrun the average stock transport.

The swing-wings provided excellent maneuverability in an atmosphere. Not only could they fold up for compact storage, but they would tilt up and down during flight to aid in controls. In space, the swing-wings were more or less useless except as a space-saver on board of a starship or space station.

The Z-95ML was introduced three years after the original Mark I. Since so many of the original Mark Is had been modified with concussion missile hardpoints, Incom/Subpro opted to make this modification standard on all new Mark Is.

Aside from the addition of the six concussion missile hardpoints on the ventral surface of the craft's swing-wings, the rest of the ship remained pretty much unchanged from the original Mark I - save for the minor improvements made over the last two years such as a bucket seat and auto-tinting canopy.

Since the Z-95 was designed as an atmospheric fighter, it was an obvious choice for designers to introduce a ground support variant. The hardpoints used for concussion missiles in the Z-95ML were changed out with hardpoints for free fall proton bombs or cluster bombs for surface strikes.

Due to the Z-95GS's specific role as a ground support fighter, very few of these were ever modified for space flight. Most considered it a waste of time and credits since the original Mark I and the Z-95ML served much better as a short range space fighter after modification.

The Z-95ST, or Sport Headhunter, was the first Z-95 model to be manufactured solely for the civilian market. It was unarmed and lacked a shield generator, making it completely worthless in combat. It was intended to be sold to Z-95 fans who lacked the proper licenses to purchase an actual combat Z-95.

With the removal of the weapons and shield generator, designers were able to increase the cargo capacity and consumables on board. Customers who purchased the Z-95ST typically did so to show off, hot rod across the planet in or to race. Due to the lack of passenger seating, it did not do well in the family or commercial markets. The ST was nothing more than a brash pilot's toy.

Like the rest of the Mark I Z-95s, the ST could be modified for space travel by a crafty technician. Often times, owners of the ST had no interest in or could not afford such modifications.

The Mark II production run was the first run which standardized the Z-95 as both an atmospheric and space fighter. This production run sold nearly twice as well as the original Mark I production run. The Mark II, without question, paved a golden path for the Z-95's future.

Since the Mark II standardized the Z-95 as both an atmospheric and space fighter, several changes in the overall design were implemented. The swing-wings were removed and replaced with a fixed-wing configuration of comparable size and shape. Additionally, the bubble canopy was replaced by what Incom/Subpro called a more streamlined "starfighter canopy" which flowed more evenly with the shape of the fuselage. The final alteration to the basic design was the replacement of the ion drives, boosting the craft's atmospheric and sublight speeds.

The Mark II production run was much shorter than the well known Mark III production run. Very few notable Mark II variants were ever produced. Just like the Mark I run, the Mark II was updated every year, often times with very minor changes in the design such as adjustable artificial cockpit gravity and improved tactical holographic heads up displays.

Hyperdrive systems were rarely installed on Mark IIs, as the modification was often much too difficult and expensive to make it worth while. Incom/Subpro engineers attempted to design a cost efficient hyperspace capable variant of the Mark II but had no success as the cost was just too high.

Incom/Subpro Z-95 Mark II Headhunter

The Z-95 Mark II was the first Headhunter to come "space ready" from the factory, with no need of the modifications which were required on a Mark I to make it space worthy. It was now a formidable starfighter.

Equipped with newer engines, the Mark II was noticably faster in both atmospheric and space flight in comparison to the Mark I. A new fixed-wing configuration and a new streamlined "starfighter canopy" gave the Mark II a slightly different (and newer) appearance.

The Mark II's main armaments, a pair of triple blaster cannons, remained the same as those found on the Mark I. However, the concussion missiles were removed from their wing-mounted hardpoints as a launcher was installed on the underside of the fuselage. Revisions in the internal design, combined with new space-saving technologies, provided enough internal space not only for the launcher, but for a slight extension in the underside cargo compartment.

The Mark II was utilized as a main line starfighter by the Old Republic until the introduction of the Mark III twelve years later. During the Rebellion era, Mark IIs could still be found in service on many backwater worlds serving in private defense squadrons. The Rebel Alliance had a handful of Mark IIs, all of which were deployed at low priority outposts.

The Z-95XT was designed to serve as both a trainer and as an in-system courier or ferry. Featuring a slightly elongated fuselage and double seated cockpit, it varied in appearance more from the original Mark I than any other variant to date. It sold very well on both the open and military markets, serving navies and private corporations alike.

As a trainer, the Z-95XT was more than efficient in giving first time pilots a taste of real spaceflight outside of a simulator. With an identical set of controls in the passenger seat, a pilot-in-training could learn what it was really like to fly a space fighter with the instructor paying close attention in the front seat. The forward seat had override controls to lock out those in the rear seat, helping to ensure that first time pilots wouldn't be capable of making a fatal mistake.

As a courier or ferry, the XT worked well in both military and private use. In military use, the XT would often times be used to ferry personnel or light cargo from ship-to-ship in a fleet. In private use, they were often used as space taxis or for light cargo deliveries in system. The extra cargo capacity and vastly increased consumables made it much more suited to long term space flight.

It served with distinction as both a trainer and ferry during the final years of the Old Republic and was later adopted by the Rebel Alliance to train new X-wing pilots in basic flight skills.

Often referred to as the Z-95 Headhunter, the Mark III was Incom/Subpro's best selling starfighter of all time - even better than the later X-wing fighter. Due to continued improvement in both design and technology, the Mark III would become one of the easiest and best known starfighters to modify and mass produce.

The biggest (and wisest) improvement made in the Mark III was the addition of two additional engines, giving the Z-95 a total of four ion fission engines which were mounted in pairs on either side of the craft. The Z-95 was slowly beginning to look like an X-wing.

Installation of a hyperdrive became more of a cost efficient possibility. The Mark III was redesigned internally so that such a unit could easily be installed as a modification and the internal power generator was upgraded so that it could easily bear the additional drain. A handful of Mark III variants came standard with a hyperdrive, but the vast majority did not.

Incom/Subpro Z-95 Mark III Headhunter

The Z-95 Mark III was the fighter which made the Z-95 name legendary among spacers and starfighter pilots. It was state of the art in its day, faster, more durable and more heavily armed than any other fighter in its class.

Due to several innovations and reconfigurations interally, designers were able to increase the cargo capacity to an impressive 85 kilograms - something rarely seen even in Rebellion era starfighters. These internal improvements also made it much easier to install a small hyperdrive and nav computer or a more powerful shield generator.

This variant became so common that many technicians and mechanics could work on one with no difficulty, and parts were so abundant that modifications were very affordable.

The Old Republic fielded this variant as its main line combat starfighter, shifting the older Mark IIs to lower priority fleets and outposts. During every military engagement, the Mark III was there. Planetary defense militias purchased them by the dozens and before long, they were everywhere.

The Z-95TR was a trainer variant based upon the the Z-95 Mark III design, intended to replace the original Z-95XT Mark II Trainer. Incom went ahead and installed a Class Five hyperdrive, removed the concussion missiles and dramatically altered the fuselage to fit in an extra seat. It would be the replacement for the Z-95XT.

The pilot (trainer) would sit in the front, while the trainee sat directly behind. Identical controls were placed in both seats, with the pilot being able to override and disable the trainee's controls with the touch of a button.

The design was sold on both the military and open markets, serving as a training fighter for the military and as a personal fighter with room for two on the public market. Many private owners used it as their personal transport, while some other more creative private owners offered chartered space flights for those who don't get the chance to travel the stars.

The TR was of little use in combat. The triple blaster cannons, though fire-linked, still could not deal out sufficient punishment to take down enemy fighters with ease. Those TRs purchased by the military were used strictly as trainers or as ferries for moving personnel or light cargo from ship-to-ship in a fleet.

Training in the TR certified Republic pilots to fly both the Mark II and Mark III Z-95s. However, any pilot trained in a TR could take the controls of any Z-95 variant or model and fly with little to no difficulty as the controls never drastically changed until the Z-95AF4. The TR was later used by the Rebel Alliance in small numbers as pre-training for X-Wings and newer Z-95AF4s.

The Z-95CO was the result of Incom's efforts to design a covert operations strike fighter. Much debate was placed on readding the concussion missiles to the design, but in the end it was decided that the vessel would be used more for inserting small special forces teams than engaging in combat.

Based upon the new Mark III Headhunter spaceframe, the Z-95CO had all of the latest Headhunter improvements built in, as well as a few new surprises. For the CO design, engineers installed a small Class Four hyperdrive, increased the output of the shield generator and replaced the triple blasters with a pair of heavy blaster cannons. To accomodate for all of the new power drains placed on the vessel, the engines were downgraded slightly, making it a bit slower than the standard Mark III.

The double cockpit would be taken almost straight from the Mark III trainer variant, with the pilot in the front and the passenger in the rear. If the pilot is killed or injured in flight, the passenger can take over the controls from his rear seat and continue with his mission.

Republic Intelligence loved the design. It gave them a way to equip their small field teams with their own means of insertion and extraction, negating the need for a support craft. The Republic purchased and exclusive contract for the CO, and none were sold on the open market.

These Republic purchased COs were all painted black and constantly used during night operations. Often times, three of four of these Z-95s would be used to insert squad-sized intelligence teams into hostile territory. Once on the ground the teams would conceal their vessels and go about their mission. If a mission goes horribly wrong and there are not enough pilots left alive to fly all of the Z-95s out, then an internal charge inside of the CO may be set so that the ship self destructs.

The Republic Army also purchased a number of the COs for its special forces, but never used them as frequently as Republic Intelligence.

The Mark IV was the final production run of the Z-95 Headhunter. Every innovation ever incorporated during the Z-95s lifetime were put into the Mark IV design, making it on par with many Rebellion era fighters. The Mark IVs had many things in common with the ship which would eventually replace it, the X-wing starfighter.

When the Mark IV first hit the market, there was very little praise from long time Z-95 advocates. The market had been flooded with new starfighter designs, and many were too preoccupied with the new T.I.E. fighter to notice yet another Z-95 variant.

While the Mark IV was a very advanced fighter craft, it was largely overshadowed by, and much more expensive than, the new T.I.E. and its upcoming line of variants. Incom was finding it harder and harder to convince the Republic to purchase yet another upgraded Z-95 design, and instead was forced to sell manufacturing rights to private companies and planetary defense forces.

The triple blasters were finally replaced with more powerful laser cannons, giving the Mark IV a much deadlier kick than its older sisters. Hyperdrives were more or less standard for almost all Mark IV Headhunters, as the technology had been perfected during the course of the Mark III production run. The fuselage as well as completely designed, making the Mark IV closely resemble the X-wing - some Incom engineers really considered the X-wing to be a Mark V Z-95.

The Old Republic fielded some Mark IVs, but were slowly beginning to adopt the new T.I.E. design as a cheap and easy to maintain front line fighter. Most of the Old Republic's Z-95s were still Mark IIIs when the Empire took over. The Rebel Alliance used Mark IVs in conjuction with Y-wings for commerce raiding during the early days of the Rebellion. The Mark IVs were also very popular among pirates and private defense squadrons.

Incom/Subpro Z-95 Mark IV Headhunter

The Z-95 Mark IV Headhunter was one of the most advanced starfighters to ever be designed in its day. With a Class Three hyperdrive, laser cannons, new concussion missile launchers, improved shielding, new ion fission engines and a whole mess of flight control enhancements, it was definately state of the art.

This original Mark IV had a few minor design flaws which had to later be corrected in subsequent model years. The main flaw resided in the wiring for the laser cannons within the wings which could sometimes short out and render the cannons useless.

The Z-95AF4, or Assault Fighter 4, corrected many of the minor design flaws within the original Mark IV. The AF4 was completely refitted with four new Incom 2a fission engines and armed with two Taim & Bak KX4 laser cannons and a pair of Krupx MG5 concussion missile launchers.

The Z-95AF4 was the best space superiority Headhunter created. The controls almost identically matched that of an X-wing. The engines and laser cannons were also almost identical to that of an X-wing - the X-wing would only use slightly improved models of each.

Designers opted to return to the classic bubble canopy for the AF4 rather than using the starfighter canopy which had been standard on Z-95s for many years. This once again gave the pilot an unobstructed field of vision.

The Z-95SF is a strike starfighter variant of the aging Incom/Subpro Headhunter series. The SF-model features a larger sensor array and a well-designed heads-up display, as well as the addition of an infrared designation pod meant to be used in tandem with laser-guided bombs for precision surgical strikes.

The Imperial Navy maintains a small unit of Z-95SF's on board selected fighter carriers in the Mid- and Outer-Rims. While the original Headhunter is relatively out-classed by more modernized starfighters, the Z-95SF is used to support covert operation units through the use of carefully coordinated laser-guided bomb strikes.

In addition to improved avionics and weaponry, the Z-95SF features more powerful engines and an advanced electronic control response system allowing the fighter to have increased power and maneuverability, especially in atmospheric conditions. Catheros-Merkin, a prime Imperial engine contractor, designed a specialized sublight engine that allows the Z-95SF to have remarkable speed and thrust capabilities, and an amazing climb rate.

The SF-model features two laser cannons, which are usually used in a defensive role against other starfighters. Five ordnance hardpoints support the brunt of the Z-95SF's offensive capabilites. In a covert strike role, one hardpoint is usually occupied by a laser guided bomb and another by a fuel tank.

While on LGB strike missions, the Z-95SF can designate its ground targets from either the fighter's own laser pod or by soldiers on the ground equipped with a laser-designation device. The effect of these strikes has been devastating, with the silent and unforseen destruction of entire city sections and military installations.

Weapon: Laser designation pod
Fire Arc: Front
Attack Bonus: +8 (+2 size, +2 fire control, +4 equipment bonus)
Damage: Special - Adds +8 fire control when used with a laser-guided bomb. Ground troops with laser designating equipment may also "paint" a target for the fighter, which provides the same bonus. If no designator is used to mark the target while using a laser-guided bomb, then fire control is +0.
Range Modifiers: PB +0, S -2, M/L n/a

Comments made about this Article!

There's also a hyperdrive-capable variant described in the WEG d6 adventure module "Tattooine Manhunt"

It was equipped with a x3 hyperdrive and limited to just a couple of jumps.

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